Compound oscillating engine



Nov. 14, 1933. Q M, GRQSS.

coMPouND oscILLATING ENGINE Filed March 25, 1933 l Il' 1'...

A TTORNE YS Patented Nov. 14, 1933 oswaiajmagilmiuiap Grlbssynetm'it, Mih. d Y Applicatibn'vrarh 25, 1933. .serialnalsasm l claims?(cifrar- 99) This Yinvention relates to steam-'engines andparticularly to an engine of thecompound oscil- `lating type.l Y

the atmospheric heat leakage and thereby obtain-V ing the optimum 'thermal efliciency of ,operation. Another object or" the invention is to robtain simplication in the construction and assemblagev of an engine of this type. .Y Y Otherobjectsof the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practicalembodiment thereofproceeds.

. Inv the dravvingwhioh accompanies-,and forms a partfof the following speciiication andthrougm out-the several figures of ,which the same characters of referencehaveibeen employed to dese ignate `identical parts. fr .y

.Figure lis a perspective View ofthe oscillating engine, showing the vacuum casing; f f Figure `2 is a cross' sectiontaken along the llin v2-.2 ofV Figure 5, I the .rotor being Vshown. solid, and the vanebroken aWay; z v w Figure 3yis a fragmentary perspective view oi the rotorvanes; e v, Figure 4*.is a fragmentary perspectivelview of the.Y packing forthefrotorvanes;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross section through the` engine ina plane`V perpendicular toitsaxis of rotation; f

i Figure 6-is a' cross section taken along-the-line .or-6 of Figure 5 the valves being shOWnlsOIid;

y l z: Y vv 1 il.

' Figure is a perspective view indetail of"v thev 'Welded joint at the base' of the'vacuurn- 'casing Y' of .the-engine.v a i A Referring now in detail-to theseveral figures, the engine i comprises 'an annular 1 outer mem- `ber l' 'secured in Viiuid-tight mannerv to an end member Y2, thelatt'er member having a flange Sgwhich extends inwardly into coincidence with the outer membel and being provided with a cirfcumfere'ntial packing groov'eljS'` vfh'ic'hfmay be "packed With 4any suitable steam or" pressure resisnng packing; 1 j 1 1 g` "The Harige, Sis I discontinuous 'for a purpose -cally oppositepointsk adjacent )the end portions y `high pressure" chamber A. Duefto the disconti- ,nuity 'oftheiiange 3, aloyv` pressure chamber-is defined-betvveenthe valve chests. 4 and the louter 'member'lg'` diametricallyopposite the high pressure chamber and being of a llargerA capacity-than said high pressure chamber. Y AA shaft 5 vpasses `Vthrough' the. end wallof the outer member 1, said shaft having a bearing 47. withinya recess 5 formed on the inner surfacego.: or" the end 'member 2. -The :shaft as. is .shown indetail in KVFigure 3 yis provided With diametri-1 cally arranged vanes; .and 6'.. yt-'Ihese'va.nes are of a Width to t againsttheside and circumferential Walls of the high and lcvvpressure chambers, 65 with working tolerance,` and said vanes are prefer;- ablyiformed on theirsideandend faces with grooves 7" `in Lwhich suitable packing` is seated which expands'in Huid-.tight manner against the side Wall and circumierentialwall ofA saidcham- 70 ber.' A detail of such packingisshown in Figure 4, which indicaties thatthere vare two packing members '7., substantially Leshapedlvvithy a telescoping--joint 8 between :them inthe endrface of the vane. `Ini'the grooves 7 .back of said packing '75 members are springs 9` andlO which biassaid packing members against the frespective' side and circumferential'walls of Ithe respective high and' loWipressure chambers Withinzthe. engine.

v It-Willbe understood thatltheshaft -oscil- 30' lateswith the vanes 6 andxG' and ontheouter end of the 'shaft'is a crank 25'.,l adapted to be operativelylconnected by af-pitmanto the` device or machine operated by theengine;A 1.

' i Ther valve .mechanism is -directly f operatedl by 85 -tlie-oscillation'ofv the shaft: 5, :by means of a y collar 25 secured to said shaft. The valves which are shown in Figures 5.and 6 .aresolidcylindrical members 12 and 13.y 'oscill'atablymounted inre-. spective. bores r12 and 13 formed' inthe valve 90 chests14.1-[Thre-'are two inlet and -tWoexhau'st valves for each valve chest. The inlet ,Valves/are provided in separate longitudinal portions with receiving ports 22and transfer portsV 23. `The Y K valve chests are alsoprovided with ports 16 regis-'- 95 trable vwith. the receiving ports vforY admitting y steam to thehigh pressure chamber and with ports 24`-re'gist'rable withfthe vtransfer 'ports 23.

for transferring steam from the -high'- 'pressure chamber to the loW pressure chamber. Theeiii-Y 100 haust valve's13.areprovided with a seriesf'of through ports 23iregistr'able'on thef'one lhand with ports A1l communicating Witliftlnelowpres-Y sure chamber Yand with-theexhaust passages'14.` `The vvalve chestsv are providedyvithlpacking 105 lgrooves Y14! forming a vsealing, joint between the Y valve chests v and thefhub ofV thev vanes Gland 6', thus-preventing directleakage ofsteam from the vhigh to the"lowlpressurelchamber. Y i

lk .1The'valves112 vand 13! are providedwith stems 11D 45 and 46, respectively, which project through packed bores in the end face of the outer member 1. The valve stems 45 which belong to the inlet valves are each furnished on the outside of the engine With a segmental gear 18 meshing with teeth on the disc 25, thus as the shaft 5 oscillates, its oscillating movement is communicated simultaneously to the stems of both the inlet valves, although ofcourse said valves are so oriented as to be simultaneously in different phases of operation. The exhaust valve stems 46 are connected by means of links 19 with the disc through the instrumentality of pins-'17 fixed on said disc and playing in slots in said links. Thus the exhaust valves will be oscillated through the movement of the shaft 5. The disc 25 is formed with a slot 26 through which eX- tends a pin 26 made fast to disc`28 which is keyed to shaft 5. This pin contacts slot 26C on disc 25 timed by segment of gear teeth and pin 17 admitting steamv to the ports 16 before vane y 6 and 6 reach their respective objectives making a smooth reversal of the direction of the vanes.

The outer memberl 1 of the engine is surrounded circumferentially by a vacuum jacket 47 having outer and inner wall members 27 and 27', respectively, welded to frontand back rings 31 and buttfwelded as indicated at 29, resting on base 34.

The reference numeral indicates a Valve for connecting the space within said jacket to suitable vacuum producing apparatus. In order to prevent collapse of the outer wall 27, spacer studs 32' are varranged. at intervals circumferentially about the engine and within the jacket 47.

The outer member 1 and inner member 2 are held together by bolts 37 passing through suit.- able bores 33 arranged in said members and suitable apertures 36 are 'formed in the base mem-A ber 34 by means of which the engine may be secured to a foundation. The engine is secured to the base by bolts shown in Figure 5. The valve mechanism passes through a plate 40 which forms the outer flange of a stuffing gland by means of which the packing 4:0'` is compressed. Said plate is secured to the front of the engine by suitable bolts/42, and spacer ring 41 between plate 40 and member 1 gives ample space for packing around valves.

The ends of the engine are insulated with layers 39 of asbestos held in place by plates 38. substantially secured to the rings 31 as by spotf Welding. The plate 38 on the front of the enf gine has an aperture in its central portion made to conform closely to the edge of the plate 40. The spotfwelds by means of which the plate 38 is secured'to the ring 31 and-to the plate 40 are indicated at 43 in Figure 1..

.V'Iheoperation of the engine is as follows: Steam entering by way of the inlet pipe 15 enters the port 15 of the steam chest on the right hand` side, Figure 5, passes throllgh port holes in the valve chest, through the Valve .12', Olli? O V the valve chest port holes 16, applying pressure against the vane 6, pushing said vane in the direction of the arrow showninFgure 5, and fill.-

. ing-the high pressure chamber A with steam Vunder .high pressure. v

The valve 1,2 of the Yleft hand Valve chest and which has been previously closed is now opened through the oscillation of the shaft 5, to receive steam from an intake pipe not shown, by a duplicate of the pine 15.', This applies pressurek to the vane 6 in .the opposite direction. By this time, however thevalvelZ of the right hand valve chest has moved into position for transferring steam through the port holes 23 and through the valve chest port holes 24 to the low pressure chamber against the face of the vane 6', driving the vane toward the left at the same time the vane 6 is moving toward the right. Y

The vane 6 is now back to its original position, and the chamber A filled with` high pressure steam from the left hand inlet valve, While the chamber Bis filled with steamat low pressure.`

,the vnext movement of the vane 6 in the direction of the arrow the low pressure steam in the chamber B will be exhausted throughY the right side valve chest port 11 through the exhaust valve 13 and port 23' andY into the exhaust port hole 1.4 the right hand valve chest, and thence out of the engine by way of the exhaust pipe 14'.

While Ihave in the disclosure described a preferred and practical embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the inventive concept is not limited by the specific details of construction as shown, but is sumciently broad to be exemplified in other equivalent constructions and arrangements of parts; What I claim is: Y

1. An engine of the compound .oscillating type comprising inner and outer end members each `having a circumferential iiange telescopically arranged, diametrically arranged valve chests within said inner flange defining with the structure enclosing them high and low pressure chamf ers, an oscillating shaft, varies carried by said shaft and arranged in said respective chambers in uidetight relation with the walls thereof, means for admitting .elastic fluid under pressure automatically to opposite sides of said vane in said high pressure chamben'means for trans.- ferring said fluid after expansion in said high pressure chamber to said 10W pressure chamber, and means for exhausting the Vexpanded fluid alternately from theopposite sides` of the low pressure chamber, all of said fluid'controlling means being actuated from said chest, the flange of said inner end member being discontinuous through the angular extent of said low pressure chamber, making the volume of said low pressure chamber greater than that of said high pressure chamber.

2. An engine of the compound oscillating type comprising inner and outer end members', said `125 members having circumferential anges telescopically arranged, and the inner flange being discontinuous through a substantial angle, ex.- posing the inner peripheral wall of a part .of said outer flange, means secured to said inner member constituting valve chests arranged diametrically and adjacent the ends of said inner flange, the walls of said means being substantially radial, defining between said end members and the exposed portions of said inner and vouter flanges, respectively Yhigh and low` pressure chambers of different radial dimensions, the capacity of Vthe low pressure chamber being greater than that of the high pressure chamber .by virtue of its greater radial dimension, a shaft extending cgi-axially constructed to transfer expanded fluidfrom said Y high pressure chamber to said lov pressure cham` ber alternatingly with the admission periods, exhaust valves in said valve chests for exhausting the expanded fluid alternately from the opposite sides of said low pressure chamber, and means operativelyconnecting all of 'said valves to said shaft. 1

3. An engine as claimed in claim 2, said valves comprising ported lcylinders seated in ported bores in said valve chests, said admission valves including admission ports and transfer ports in diiferent longitudinal zones, stems for saidv valves extending to points outside of `one of said end members and means on said valve stems cooperating with means onsaid shaft for transmitting oscillatory movement from said shaft to said valves.

4 An engine of the compound oscillating type comprising inner and outer end members, said members having circumferential llanges telescopically arranged, and the inner flange being discontinuous throughoutv a substantial angle, exposing the inner peripheral wall of said outer y ange, means constituting valve chests arranged diametrically and adjacent the ends of said inner llange,` defining between said end means and the exposed-portions of the inner and outer ilanges respectively, high and low pressure chambers having different radial dimensions, the capacity of the low pressure chamber being greater than that of the high pressure chamber by virtue of its greater radial* dimension, a shaft extending co-axially through said members, vanes on said `shaft oscillatable in fluid-tight contact with the walls of said respective high and 10W pressure chambers, admission valves in said valve chests for admitting elastic fluid'under pressure alternately to opposite sides of said high pressure chamber, said admission valves being constructed to transfer expanded fluidfrom said highv pressure chamber to said low pressure chamber alternatingly with the admission periods, exhaust valves in said Valve chestsl for exhausting the expanded fluid alternately from the opposite sides of said low pressure chamber, and means operatively'connecting,all of saidV valves to said shaft, said 'valves comprisingported cylinders seated in ported bores in said valve chests, said admission valves including admission ports and transfer ports in dilerent longitudinal zones, stems for said valves lextending to points outside of one of said 'end members and means on said l valve stems cooperating with means on said' link connections between said exhaust valves and said gear.

OSWALD MAXIMILLIAN GROSS. 

